BROWNSVILLE – A GEAR UP student involved in ROTC received a scholarship to attend Texas A&M where he will be a member of the Corps of Cadets.

ROTC Battalion Commander Dalton St. Romain said he recently traveled to San Antonio.

“I traveled to the Alamo for Navy Day at the Alamo, and they presented me with a Navy scholarship check at the Alamo with top officers present. It was a huge deal and awesome and I got to meet a lot of amazing officers and I’m glad I’m going to be serving alongside them in our country,” he said.

His GEAR UP facilitator Celina Barrera Scott said she was proud her student received the scholarship.

“He came in; he was one of the first that actually started doing a scholarship application which was that specific one. The NROTC and he got it… so it’s persistence and just working at it hard, a very confident student,” she said.

St. Romain said all his hard work paid off.

“So this is the National Navy ROTC scholarship and I’m the first student from Veterans Memorial High School to ever be awarded this scholarship. And I believe I’m the first student in six years to be awarded this scholarship from Brownsville,” he asid.

St. Romain said he can’t wait to attend Texas A&M. He said he loves the traditions the university follows to the letter.

“The Texas Aggie student body is the embodiment of the 12th man, such we all stand because together at the game we are one. Twelfth man and we are the cultural spirit of Texas A&M University,” he said.

St. Romain said GEAR UP helped him and he’s happy the program showed him how to manage his money during the literacy conference. He also credits the program for introducing him to the ROTC program.

“Because of GEAR UP I spent the night with the Corps Cadets. GEAR UP really hooked it up and it was amazing,” he said.